Sending the Obama Administration My ‘two cents worth’.

A colleague of mine recently sent me a link to the Obama Administration’s website that is soliciting feedback from normal ‘Joe’ citizens like you and me. The site includes several different areas of focus including health care reform and health and physical activity-related links. The purpose being to encourage individuals to write in and provide ideas, insights, and feedback about how we, as citizens, can contribute in the improvement of specific programs and policies within our government. So, I figured what the heck. I’ve written my governor and congressman before, why not The Prez?

The easy way, for the purposes of this blog post, would’ve been to have copied my letter prior to sending it to The White House so that I could’ve simply copy and pasted it to this post. Ah yeah, that would’ve been the easy way. Perhaps it was the fact that I wrote my letter to B.O. at around midnight and was fading fast. I just didn’t think it through enough to make a copy before hitting the ‘send’ button. So, here I am, re-creating the ‘just’ of what I sent over and now anxiously awaiting his reply. (absolutely no sarcasm here)

Basically, I was compelled to write the Obama Administration to give my insights on what I believe we need to focus our efforts on as a society in decline as it relates to the improved health, fitness and overall wellness in this country. Something that needs some serious fixing. Health care reform is a whole other topic but it’s all interconnected and must include a close look at physical activity, dietary tendencies, and a host of other personal-health key elements if we’re to succeed at re-vamping a system that’s obviously not working and significantly change worrisome trends. Ultimately, fulfilling a vision for a healthier America will require engagement from our government and several other entities including employers, insurance providers, medical professionals, schools, and of course, you and me.

First off, and this is my strongest belief, we need to re-commit to placing a focus on teaching and shaping our generations to come. It must start with our children. And that includes a return to placing an emphasis on physical education and nutritional health curriculum in school as much as reading, writing, and arithmetic. It used to be this way when I was a kid and we have to get back to it. Now.

We’ve seen over the years a trend of eliminating physical education classes and nutrition classes or at least a change in making these courses ‘required’ courses. I believe these classes should be required classes and the emphasis should be placed on children of all ages. We know children are very impressionable and I contend that the sooner good habits can be established, the better. And, the more likely these good habits can and will be continued through adulthood.

To encourage participation and to create environments where children of all ages and abilities feel compelled to learn and excel, teachers and coaches need to be held to higher standards with more of an emphasis placed on higher success rates of participation. Recognition methods and incentives for outstanding efforts need to hold significant value and should reflect a ‘gold’ standard of performance. Point being, we need to emphasize and place importance on quality and success as it relates to ‘younger generation’ health & wellness. Success can be found in encouraging children of all ages and abilities to be involved in establishing good health habits, it merely takes focus and a desire to achieve.

Additionally, for far too long, our society has been operating under a 'disease management' model. We fall prey to lifestyles that promote and encourage 'fully saturated' unhealthy living practices, increase our health risk factors and wind up in the disease management vicious cycle. A cycle that demands an enormous amount of time, money, and emotional (stress) investment. And, one that can be extremely difficult to break out of. But, again, that's what feeds the monster and it's dependency on money and chronic conditions.

What if we took a step back and put the focus on 'prevention'? What if we invested more of this time and money in providing resources, education, and benefits programs focused on preventative measures? What if, instead of filling out prescription pad after prescription pad with 'pharmaceutical cures' and hence, padding the pockets of pharmaceutical companies, physicians filled out prescription pads with orders for physical activity and nutritional consulting? Consulting that could truly make a lifestyle behavior change and long-term difference. Because the reality is, unless the 'behavior' is addressed, the vicious cycle will continue to be fed.

A 'Healthier America' vision is a realistic one. It is. But, as I've penned in other posts, a fundamental foundation must be established first. I'm hoping the 'change' we've all been promised includes a sound overhaul in how physicians, employers, insurers, educators, and citizens promote and 'do' personal health.

Can one find 'true' health by being a Wii bit fit?

Embarrassing as it is to admit, I will....I've never tried Wii Fit. That's right, never done it. It's true, I work in personal health and wellness and don't have a clue about what Wii Fit provides in terms of a workout or overall 'health makeover'. I can only ascertain based on a few conversations I've had with individuals and now this article. I've been hoping for an opinion piece such as this and here it is, granted, it's just one person's take. Am I surprised at the assessments? No. The analysis seems to be pretty much right on. And I appreciate the honesty. Can one find improved fitness levels using the Wii Fit system. Sure. Can one find peace and solitude using Wii Fit yoga? Sure. Can Wii Fit be as effective as going to a club or gym? You bet. So, is Wii Fit worth the money spent? It's up to you. Simply put, Wii Fit falls into the same category as everything else purchased in the name of 'better health'. Should you be disciplined enough to stay the course for the long haul and put in the necessary effort, you'll inevitably reap the benefits. The key is in the foundation and the discipline. I'll contend that the difference is where the mindset rests and if true behavior change can be realized and maintained. For many, the 'late night fitness infomercial' is the catalyst that puts them over the top. (Cue the ab roller, buns of steel, gazelle, and countless others..) I would place Wii Fit into this same class when looking at the 'bigger picture'. The fun factor is there, the new approach is there, the intentions are there. Whether the sustained results in weight-loss and other health metrics important to you will eventually be there, only time will tell. For the $90 or so price tag, it may not matter to you. And that's cool too. If it provides quality bonding time with friends and family, that's important to health as well. And, who knows, it just may be the catalyst that starts a positive personal health trend.

I recently took the opportunity to write the Obama administration with my own analysis of the state of personal health and wellness in this country and what I believed should be included in efforts to help curb the negative trend. I'll be expanding on this in a later post. But the bulk of my letter was based on our abilities to influence, teach, and encourage our youth in ways that lead to better decision-making and habits later in life regarding personal health. And, I believe, that sustained healthy movement, in whatever form, at a young age can and does make a profound difference. Times have changed from when I was a kid. Options for kids have changed. I do think gaming devices like Wii Fit fit are a step in a positive direction and can play a role.

I'm interested in your thoughts...Do you have a Wii Fit? Do you use it? Has it made a difference in any way? Do you think it'll eventually get 'old' and become a dust collector? Do you have kids that use it and if so, does it hold their attention for long?

It'll be interesting to follow up on Scott Owens' (Exercise Science at the University of Mississippi) six month study to see what he uncovers. I'll post his assessment when it comes out.

As for me....well, I'm off to bowl a few Wii frames..

New Year's Resolution Keys: Sustained Motivation & Support.

Once again, that time of year has come. We add an extra year to the calendar and quickly follow with thoughts of how we might make things different. Improve upon things. Find success in things. Make things more efficient. Rid ourselves of things so we can re-discover what things really matter to us. Find new things. Make sense of some things.

I recently read a couple of statistics about New Year's resolutions and I wanted to share them..

[1] 70% of people who make New Year's resolutions say that the hardest part is staying motivated.

[2] 60% of people who made resolutions said they needed more support to achieve them.

Nothing about these numbers is surprising, in fact, they make absolute sense. Motivation maintenance and the support that is undoubtedly required are, without question, the key reasons people generally only make it through the 'honeymoon' phase of a behavior change attempt. The thing to remember, is that this is natural. There's nothing to feel bad about, nothing to feel ashamed about, nothing to feel failure about. Again, because it's natural.

With anything worth achieving or having, motivation has to come from somewhere. And we're all different in where and how we find this motivation. If motivation were something you could just grab off the 'sale's shelf' at Starbuck's in addition to your coffee drink, well, Starbuck's would be doing even bigger business than they already are. Point being, sometimes we just have to work a little harder and a little smarter to find the right motivation before putting it to use. And sustaining that motivation oftentimes is directly related to the aforementioned 'right motivation'.

Ask anyone who's achieved their dreams and great things in life what it took and undoubtedly you'll hear: hard work, focus, perserverence, goals, a plan....but, under all of this, hidden behind the scenes...that's right, support. Can it be done without it? Not likely. Perhaps, yes...but not likely. We all need support. And the key is finding the right support.

With the right support and motivation in your corner, you cannot fail.

Happy New Year.

A cup of the good stuff (and several refills) may save your life.

Ok, just to be clear, I don't need a reason to indulge in a morning cup of the good stuff or the afternoon 'once you've tried it, you'll never go back-French Press' I've worked into my schedule now. No reason at all, it just comes naturally. And though I honestly don't feel pressure to defend this wonderful habit since more and more are jumping on board daily, it's always nice to have 'data' to back up said habit when necessary. If more nothing more, it just makes you feel better, in your own mind.

I've read before about scientific studies proving the cardiovascular value in drinking coffee and this is another good one. So enjoy that morning cup....that mid-morning cup...afternoon cup...and early evening cup...Do it for your heart. Yeah, now that sounds like a good enough reason, doesn't it?

.......

Buzz from Recent Research - Coffee Gets a Health Boost

In a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, scientists found that regular coffee consumption was not associated with an increased risk of death in either men or women; and this included those who regularly drank six cups of coffee or more a day. Furthermore, heavy coffee drinkers, particularly women, seemed to have a decreased risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

In the study, data was examined from 41,736 men who were tracked for 18 years as part of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and 86,214 women who were followed for 24 years as part of the Nurses’ Health Study. Participants completed diet questionnaires every two to four years, which included coffee consumption. As coffee consumption rose among more than 125,000 study participants, the risk of death decreased for both men and women. However, the results were most significant for women who drank four to five cups daily. They had up to a 26 percent reduced risk of death, particularly from CVD.

Source: Lopez-Garcia, E. “The Relationship of Coffee Consumption with Mortality”. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2008 June; 148(12):904-914.